45 Diary 45: The Arkhansas Sports Festival
"Is there a festival nearby?" a child asks his parents when Min Soo busy strolling the city landscape. "There are so many lights, beautiful ornaments in the Arkhansas City!".
Now that he mentions it, the child is correct; the city is oddly livelier than the one in Arachnosia. It is as if there are festivities going on around the City. Min Soo decides to ask the city folks which they reply the same. There's a Sports Festival soon, several drinks and food stands will take place in the heart of the Arkhansas City.
Min Soo is feeling ecstatic, knowing that they come to this City at the right moment when the sports festival is about to take place. The administrator of the event usually prepares lots of exciting events where travelers can partake in.
Not only that, the rewards are quite interesting since the winner could enjoy a luxury feast in a famous restaurant in Arkhansas for free.
Surely, the appetizing rewards rile the Idol's motivation to join. However, before he could enroll himself in the sports festival; a hand on his shoulder stop him from doing so. The man turns around only to see the sweaty breathless David bores his deep navy eyes on his bronze eyes.
Min Soo tilts his head in confusion, David shakes his shoulder in concern for Min Soo's safety.
"Is your body okay? Why are you up and strolling the city when you just recovered? What if your power goes uncontrollable again and I can't protect you?" David sounds concerned.
"I'm fine, I just want to check out the festivities" Min Soo reassures the worried explorer. "Oh yeah, where's Crow?".
Crow is nowhere to be seen usually, he would follow David around like an obedient dog he is. After all, the two of them are old colleagues and perhaps best friends. David tells Min Soo that Crow is busy with other things which he somewhat understands since the man is a famous bounty hunter.
The crowds' gather around Min Soo, involuntarily pushing Min Soo by accident toward David King. Their chest touches and at the moment a heat resurfaces on Min Soo's face, his heartbeat palpitates when their skin grazes each other by accident like a silky brush.
David's cheek reddened, but he keeps his calm composure not to fluster Min Soo who is now landing on his chest. The blonde-haired explorer can feel Min Soo's flustered heartbeat, he silently feels overjoyed by Min Soo's reaction toward him.
"Do you want to go somewhere quieter?" David asks worriedly since he can feel awkward glances coming from every corner.
"Sure, let's go" Min Soo nods as the two gentlemen leave the crowded place to find somewhere quieter.
* * *
"You want to join the Sports Festival?" David widens his eyes the moment Min Soo expresses his curiosity in joining the festivities.
The two of them sit on a bench in a park near a certain church, enjoying the stream of the fountain in front of them and the sound of children laughing around them. Min Soo and David find peace in that particular garden while enjoying the tranquility and the view. David smiles perched up a bit, he gives a slight nod to Min Soo's excitement.
"That sounds fun, the sports festival that you're interested in enrolling are for pleasure-seeking though, and the usage of Vision is not allowed to make the game fair for all".
"Ah, I see but it sounds fun" Min Soo sighs. "Should I give it a try?".
David thinks for a while, his navy eyes bore on his bronze eyes. However, he then suddenly suggests something that piques Min Soo's interest.
"Why not try the Sports Tournament? It gives you sheels as a reward" David smiles.
Min Soo doesn't understand the differences between the two, hence the Idol tilts his head in confusion. David explains about the Sports Tournament, it's more or less an official tournament to see who is the strongest fighter in the arena. It is set like a gladiator match, where two people compete at the center of the arena.
Non-Visioner and Visioner can compete in the Sports Tournament, usually to win the favor of sponsors and recruiters who is interested in hiring people. Thus usually Sports Tournament is good for people to gain their fame and get hired by conglomerates and the governments to work under them as their bodyguards or other things.
From the way he worded it, Min Soo can feel that the event is different from the local Sports Festival he wants to enroll. However, the man is motivated to enroll in the Sports Tournament since the reward is ten thousand sheels for the first winner.
Second and third place also gets the luxury to receive sheels reward, although not as much as the first winner.
Min Soo's willpower determined the man decides to enter the Sports Tournament with the support from David King himself. David smiles a bit when Min Soo pumps his fist into the air, the man wants to win himself a sheel.
"To be honest, I can buy you lots of things Min Soo" David offers. "You don't have to be so hard on yourself, if you need anything I can buy it for you".
Min Soo shakes his head, he declines David's generous offer, the Idol doesn't want to depend on the experienced explorer on getting his funds. The man wants to learn how to be independent in this new world he lives in, he doesn't want to be indebted to David who brings him to his mansion for free.
"It's fine, I'll win that sheels for sure" Min Soo reassures himself. "Although, I guess I need to practice a bit before going in the tournament blindly".
David nods to Min Soo's excitement, the man is onboard with Min Soo's motivation. However, Min Soo notices that David's thoughts are disorderly; his mind is somewhere else since his eyes been staring at the sky. His sorrowful gaze stares at the orange sky, his hollow navy eyes bleaks in sadness.
